Apparatus for gauging



Feb. 9, 1954 F. D. MOYER APPARATUS FOR GAUGING Filed Sept. 16, 1949 Wea? Patented Feb. 1954 in* v y' 2,668,358

APPARATUS Foa GAUGTNG Frederick D. Moyer, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, a corporation of Illinois Application September 16, 1949, Serial No. 116,006

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to a gauging device and more specically to a device for gauging a floatins` rQof storage tank.

.Floating roof storage tanks are widely used for the storage of volatile liquids, such as petroleum products, to reduce evaporation and iilling losses of the stored liquid. Such tanks consist of a circular vessel having a roof which is unattached of liquid by dropping a gauge tape through a well in the roof, while indicating the distance between the upper and lower surfaces of the stored product, gives no indication of the depth of accumulations of ice or other matter on the bottom of the tank. Ice accumulation presents a major problem. particularly where floating roof tanks are designed to permit rain water falling on the roof to iiow to the bottom of the tank either through the stored liquid or through a drain connected to the roof and opening to the bottom of the tank. The depth of this accumulation is important to know inasmuch as the inlet and outlet of the tank are usually located a short distance above the bottom and thus knowledge of the depth of ice accumulation is a forewarning against possible operational difficulties.

I have invented and am herein describing and claiming an apparatus which not only gives ac*- curate readings of the depth of the liquid but also indicates quite accurately the actual depth of bottom accumulations.

The invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. l and 2 are vertical sections through a portion of a iioating roof tank and floating roof showing the operation of the apparatus of this invention in a tank with and without an ice accumulation in the bottom; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the upper left hand portion of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings I show a, floating roof tank l having a flat bottom Il and a cylindrical sidewall i2. A floating roof I3 is located within the tank and floats on the contained liquid |4. The roof is provided with an upper deck I5, a lower deck IB, and a gauge well Il extending 2 through the decks. Attached to the upper portion of the sidewall l2 is a gaugers platform Il accessible by means of a spiral ladder (not shown) leading therefrom to the ground.

Secured to the upper portion of the sidewall adjacent the gaugers platform is a triangular plate I8 which supports a bracket |9 extending horizontally inward towards the center of the tank. A lug 2B is welded or otherwise secured to the bracket and supports a hinge 2| having one end secured to the lug and having the other end secured to a bench mark 22. The bench mark is provided with a straight upper edge 23 in which is located a spirit level 24 for indicating the horizontal alignment of the bench mark.

Means are provided for adjusting the bench mark about the hinge 2| to bring it into perfect horizontal position, the means consisting of a threaded nut 25 Welded to the inner end of the bracket I9 through which a threaded shaft 26 extends, the shaft having its upper end 2l bearing against the bottom edge 28 of the bench mark. To hold the bench mark down tightly against the end of the shaft 26 I provide a compression spring 29 which has one end secured to a post 30 upstanding from the bracket and has its other end bearing against a plunger 3| which in turn bears against the upper surface 23 of the bench mark. The plunger is slidable in a. bushing 32 secured to the post 30.

It can thus be seen that the bench mark may be leveled by adjustment of the threaded shaft 26 to rock the bench mark about the pivot defined by the hinge 2| until the bubble in the spirit level is brought to the center.

A gauge tape 33 equipped with a plumb 34 may be dropped downwardly from the bench mark through the well Il to the bottom of the tank. The gauge tape is appropriately marked so that readings may be taken therefrom.

The bench mark 22 is located a predetermined distance above the bottom of the tank and thus at al1 times the distance between the bench mark and the true bottom is known.

The method of gauging the tank using my device to determine the depth of accumulations, if any, on the bottom of the tank and the amount of liquid in the tank is as follows: Assuming that the distance from the bottom ||v to the bench mark is, for example, 50 ft., the gauge tape 33 is lowered through the Well Il until the plumb strikes the bottom of the tank. The distance from the bottom of the tank to the level of liquid in the well is then measured together with the distance from the level of the liquid to the bench` mark. 'Ihese two distances when added together should equal 50 ft.

However, should there be an accumulation of ice or other matter on the bottom of the tank, such as illustrated in Fig. 2, the distance from the plumb 34 to the level of the liquid plus the distance from the level of the liquid to the bench mark would not equal 50 ft. If the sum of these distances were, for example, 48- ft. it would then become known with certainty that two feet of ice had accumulated on the bottom of the tank;

While I have shown and describedcertain eln-V bodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes., therefore, in the method, construction and arrangement may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the `invention as1 disclosed` Y inwardly of said tank over said portion of said bracket, a bubble level secured to and extending longitudinally of the bench mark member, and means for accurately moving said bench mark member about said hinge connection relative to said portion to level the bench mark member. FREDERICK D. MOYER.

aerei-eases oase in theme of this. patent UNrrED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 319,259. Truitt Mar. 13, 1888 4478,309 Burchinal July 5, 1892 1,346,519 Weathersby July 13, 1920 1,456,334 Parrott May 22, 1923 1,968,919 Wanee Aug. 7, 1934 2,282,771A Wiggins May 12, 1942 2,332,348 Schlumberger Oct. 19, 1943 2,373,641 Ackerson Apr. 17, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 242,826 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1925 514,479 France Nov. 15,1920, 

